Exploring the Religio-Cultural Underpinnings of Spousal Abuse Attitudes among Orthodox Täwahәdo Christians in Northern Ethiopia and Implications for Changing Attitudes and Normswithin Local Worldviews

by Romina Istratii

Romina Istratii, a current PhD research student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, presents her recently completed fieldwork among the Orthodox Täwahәdo community of Aksum (Northern Tigray) that was supported by a grant from the CFEE in 2017 and by a SYLFF Research Abroad grant by the Tokyo Foundation, Japan.

This fieldwork focused on exploring local men’s, women’s and clergy’s perceptions and understandings of spousal abuse in juxtaposition to: a) a theology-informed analysis of Church teachings concerning the metaphysics of gender relations, marriage and spousal abuse, and b) an analysis of culture-specific gender ideals and norms. This research has been motivated by the aim to identify local mechanisms and resources for changing attitudes that sustain spousal abuse and, especially, the relevance and feasibility of theology-informed and clergy-centred solutions. Ms Istratii presents here an overview of the project and fieldwork, contextualising it in the relevant literatures and the rationale for its epistemological and methodological innovations. While early to reach any conclusions, some research findings are delineated in ways that suggest intricate, multifarious realities on the ground and the need for multidimensional approaches to normative change.

This collection of articles proceeds from the workshop organized by CFEE in Addis Ababa in April 2016 (https://cfee.hypotheses.org/1554), with the support of the Observatory of the Horn of Africa (LAM, Sciences Po Bordeaux, Région Nouvelle Aquitaine), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French Ministry of Defence.

The collection has been directed by Nina Wilén (FNRS, ULB), David Ambrosetti (CNRS, CFEE) and Jean-Nicolas Bach (CEDEJ Khartoum).

The five articles are:

Marco Jowell, “The unintended consequences of foreign military assistance in Africa: An analysis of peacekeeping training in Kenya »

Josefine Kuhnel Larsen & Nina Wilén, “Rwanda’s military as a people’s army: heroes at home and abroad”

The Politics of “Developmental State” in Ethiopia: A View from Gibe III Hydropower Development Project

by Edegilign Hailu Woldegebrael

Edegilign Hailu Woldegebrael is PhD candidate in geography at Université Paris Nanterre, France. His supervisor is Dr. Sabine Planel. He is conducting research on the politics of « Developmental State » in Ethiopia, through the prism of the Gibe III Hydropower Development Project. He is one of the recipients of the CFEE field scholarships. In this text, he explains the main contributions of this fieldwork funded by the CFEE.

A History of Mining in Wallaga, Western Ethiopia, 1899-1991

by Alemseged Debele

Alemseged Debele is PhD candidate in history at Addis Ababa University. His supervisor is Professor Tesema Ta’a. He is conducting research on the history of mineral resources and their extraction in Wallaga, western Ethiopia in the 20th century. He is one of the recipients of the CFEE field scholarships. In this text, he explains the main contributions of this fieldwork financed by the CFEE.

La bibliothèque du CFEE a acquis plus d’une soixantaine de nouveaux ouvrages et une centaine de numéros de revues scientifiques au cours de l’année 2017. En voici la liste.The CFEE library has acquired more than sixty new books and a hundred issues of scientific journals during the year 2017. Here is the list.